Connector for cables



Jul 7, 1970 GRUNBAUM 3,519,731

comincwoa FOR CABLES Filed Dec. 20, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I NVENTOR BY Mr W 92/71/4704 ATTOR NE Y5 Juiy 7, 1970 J. J. 'r. GRUNBAUM 3,519,731

CONNECTOR FOR CABLES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 20, 1967 h/ ww ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofiice 3,519,731 Patented July 7, 1970 Int. (:1. tion 5/02 US. Cl. 174-138 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A wiring device for housing the spliced end portions of a pair of two-conductor wires. A pair of elongated dished members define with one another an interior chamber having spaced openings for admission of the respective two-conductor wires. Partition walls are provided on each of the members interiorly of the chamber subdividing the latter into a center and two end compartments in which end compartments the two conductors of the respective incoming wires diverge transversely away from one another. The spliced end portions of the wires are accommodated in the center compartment. Undercut snap-type connecting means are provided on the partition walls for releasably connecting the members with a snap action intermediate respective diverging conductors.

This invention relates to electric cable connectors, and more particularly to a device for covering and insulating the joints of electric cable wires.

The connector device of this invention comprises two opposed, elongated, cooperating dished members fastened together with their edges contacting each other so as to form an open-ended shell for holding and retaining the bare joints of opposite electric wire ends connected togather.

One of the elongated dished members is provided on the inner wall thereof with a transverse n'b means towards each end thereof, each of said rib means having a pair of spaced notches adapted to be engaged by the insulated wire end portions of the cables to be joined together.

Another important feature of the device of this invention is that the means for fastening together said elongated dished members comprises at least two pins, each fixed at one end to the inner wall of one of said dished members, the other end of each pin terminating in an enlarged head capable of forcibly engaging a correspondingly located resiliently expansible socket means provided on the inner wall of the other of said cooperating dished members. Preferably, the heads of said fastening pins are conical and the base of each cone is larger in diameter than the pin to which it is fixed. The diameter of the sockets adapted to be engaged by said pin heads is smaller than that of said cone base, but due to 'the resiliently expansible property of the material of said socket, the diameter of the latter will be increased as the aforesaid conical pin head is forcibly inserted therein.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, both cooperating elongated dished members and the means for fastening them together are made of elastomeric material.

Good results have been obtained with an embodiment according to which the dished members taper outwardly at each end, and a notch is provided intermediate each end of said dished members, whereby -a hole engaged by the cables the ends of which are joined will be formed as the dished members are fastened together in opposed relationship, the joined cable ends being housed in the central portion of the connector device, in compartments provided by partitions formed in each of the dished members thereof.

By means of the device of this invention, it is possible to join together electrical cables without the use of insulating tape, which is unsightly on cables of fixtures such as electric lamps, kitchen apparatus, office machines or devices such as floor polishers or vacuum cleaners. Besides being unsightly, the electric ca-ble connections made with insulating tape have a limited life, inasmuch as the adhesive material becomes dry after some time and tends to become loose. This problem is found more frequently when the connection of opposite cable ends is made on cable subject to constant movement, as in the case of cords feeding electric current to vacuum cleaners, floor polishers, shavers and the like.

The main object of the invention is, therefore, to provide a cable joining device which will be safer and afford a better finish than the conventional cable joints made with the use of insulating tape.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the aforesaid type which can be applied in less time than that required to join cable ends with the use of insulating tape, with a corresponding saving in time and labor.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a 'device of the aforesaid type which, due to its shape, small size, material, and eventually its color which can match that of the cable, will provide a cable connector which will be more sightly and inconspicuous than a connection made with the conventional insulating tape.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an electrical cable connector which will minimize the risk of an accidental short circuit.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood and readily carried into practice, a preferred embodiment thereof has been illustrated by way of example only in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a general perspective view of a cable connecting device in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing the two cooperating dished members constituting the connecting device and the wires of two cables joined together;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of one of the dished members shown in FIG. 2, illustrating the arrangement of the means fixed to the inner wall thereof;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3, showing the distribution of the means fixed to the inner wall of the other dished member comprised by the cable connecting device of this invention;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the two dished members fastened to each other and housing the joined ends of two cable sections; and,

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the device according to this invention, showing the manner in which the joined cable wires remain isolated from each other.

The same reference characters are used to indicate like or corresponding parts or elements throughout the drawings.

As shown in the drawings, the device of this invention comprises a hollow body 1 formed by two elongated, longitudinally and outwardly tapering dished members 2 and 3.

The dished members 2 and 3 engage each other at their peripheral edges 4 and 5, respectively, except at the ends thereof which are provided with notches 6-7 and 8-9, respectively which together form a pair of opposite holes for the admission of the respective cable sections 10 and 11 the wires 12-13 and 1415 of which 3 v are joined together by means of the bare connections 16 and 17, as more clearly shown in FIGS. 2 and 4.

The inner wall of the dished member 3 is provided with a pair of transverse rib means 1 8 and 19, located one near each end thereof. Each of said rib means is formed with a pair of notches 2021 and 22-23, respectively, adapted to be engaged by the suitably separated insulated cable wires to be joined together, as shown in FIG. 4. I

Intermediate the ends of each rib means 18, 19 is an upstanding cylindrical pin 24, 25 terminating in a conical head portion 26, 27 respectively.

The cooperating dished member 2 is also provided with inner transverse ribs 28 and 29 one towards each end thereof, the purpose of which is to press the cable wires and retain them in proper position when the dished members are fastened to each other, as shown in FIG. 5.

The inner wall of the dished member 2 is also provided with correspondingly located socket means 30 and 31, adapted to be engaged by the conical pin heads 26 and 27, as shown in FIGS. 3, and 6.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 4,5 and 6, the joints or connections 16 and 17 between the cable wires 12-14 and 13-15, respectively, will remain isolated from each other by a longitudinal partition 32 on the inner wall of the dished member 3, located between the ribs 18 and 19.

In order to retain the joints or connections 16 and 17 in their proper position, the dished member 2 is provided with longitudinally extending partitions 33 and 34, positioned so that the edges thereof will press said cable joints against the inner wall of the opposite dished member 3, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.

In accordance with the above description and taking into consideration that the device is preferably made of elastomeric material, the joined cable ends are disposed in the dished member 3 as shown in FIG. 4, whereupon it will only be necessary to fasten the dished member 2 onto said member 3 by forcibly inserting the conical pin heads 26, 27 in the socket means 30', 31, respectively. The sockets 30 and 31 will expand to receive the larger diameter pin heads 26 and 27 and then return to their initial diameter, inasmuch as the pins 24 and 25 are cylindrical and smaller in diameter than the bases of the conical heads 26 and 27, respectively.

The dished members 2 and 3 will thus remain fastened together to form a closed shell with the joined together bare wires of the cable completely concealed and isolated from each other, as clearly shown in FIGS. 1, 5 and 6.

While I have disclosed by way of example a specific embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that many changes and/or modifications in the shape and structural details of the device will occur to those skilled in the art, without departing from the concept of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A wiring device for housing the spliced end portions of a pair of wires having at least two conductors comprising a pair of elongated dished members having peripheral edges in abutment with one another, said members defining with one another an interior chamber having spaced openings for admission of the respective Wires; partition wall means provided on each of said members interiorly of said chamber in the region of the respective openings and transversely subdividing said chamber into a pair of end sections in which the conductors of the respective incoming wires diverge from one another in transverse direction, and a center section for accommodating the spliced end portions of said wires; and connecting means provided at said partition wall means for releasably connecting said members with a snap action intermediate the respective diverging conductors. 2. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein at least said partition wall means is at least in part slightly flexible so as to yield in response to pull exerted by the respective wires.

3. A device as defined in claim 2, wherein said members and the respectively associated partition wall means are of one piece and composed at least predominantly of elastomeric material.

4. A device as defined in claim 2, wherein said connecting means comprises undercut male coupling heads and female coupling sockets for receiving said coupling heads with a snap action.

5. A device as defined in claim 4, wherein said coupling heads are provided on the partition wall means of one of said members, and said coupling sockets are provided on the partition walls of the other of said members.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS RICHARD E. MOORE, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 17492 

